15 Best Cars for Short People

These Vehicles Make the Most Sense for Short Drivers

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the average woman in the United States is 5-feet-4-inches tall and the average male is 5-feet-9-inches tall. For drivers who fall on the short end of the height spectrum, finding a vehicle that works for their size can be challenging.

Technological innovations, including a telescoping steering wheel, electronically moving pedals, and multi-way power-adjustable front seats, make being behind the wheel a more user-friendly experience for short drivers.

The vehicles that are best for short individuals combine these technologies with good sight lines, lower door sills, and power closing liftgates. Keep in mind that our scores and rankings change as we receive and analyze new data, so what you see on this slideshow may not match what is currently on the vehicle’s review. Read on to find out which cars, SUVs, trucks, and minivans fit the bill.

2018 Ford EcoSport

$19,995 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.0/10

The 2018 Ford EcoSport is a new subcompact SUV for the North American market that possesses many of the convenience features shorter drivers are looking for. It has decent forward visibility thanks, in part, to a tall seating position. The EcoSport performs best in city driving situations with paved roads. It maneuvers well, making parallel parking a breeze.

2018 Ford EcoSport

Interior Score: 7.0/10

The EcoSport offers a responsive touch screen when you upgrade to the SYNC 3 infotainment system, though some of the controls can be difficult to reach. The tilt and telescoping steering wheel is easy to maneuver. A unique side-opening, swinging rear door means that you won’t have to reach up to close the opening. Short adults will have few problems fitting in the rear seat of the EcoSport, but tall people may.

2018 Subaru Forester

$22,795 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.5/10

With a redesigned model on the way, 2018 is the final model year in the current generation Subaru Forester. Subaru has outfitted the Forester with plenty of glass, making the compact SUV feel bigger than it is while offering drivers of all sizes good visibility. The vehicle is best as a daily driver with its nimble handling, fuel efficiency, and standard all-wheel drive making it desirable.

2018 Subaru Forester

Interior Score: 8.2/10

The interior of the Subaru Forester features a mix of durable and easy to clean materials. The compact SUV’s infotainment system is easy to reach from the driver’s side and the tall seating position gives the driver and passengers a nice view of the road ahead. The Forester’s tilt and telescoping steering wheel, multi-way adjustable seats, and easy ingress/egress also help make the case that it’s a short people-friendly car.

2018 Kia Niro

$23,340 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.1/10

The Kia Niro is relatively new to dealer lots, having been introduced for the 2017 model year. The fuel-efficient compact SUV has a smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission and regenerative braking. The Niro has plenty of power for daily driving situations. Kia only sells the model with front-wheel drive.

2018 Kia Niro

Interior Score: 7.8/10

A standard tilt and telescoping steering wheel, multi-way adjustable driver and passenger seats with a height adjuster, and easily reachable infotainment and climate controls come in the Niro. Its spacious cabin has high seats and plenty of legroom, which is good for short and tall people.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica

Interior Score: 8.8/10

The orderly interior of the Pacifica has a number of convenience features short people will appreciate including a multi-way adjustable driver’s seat and a tilt and telescoping steering wheel. Its available 360-degree camera system makes parking easy. The Pacifica also comes with an easy-to-use infotainment system.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

$89,900 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.0/10

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a highly rated super luxury car that offers short drivers access to plenty of power, delivers a smooth ride, and is easy to handle. The car remains planted through the corners with little body lean. AMG variants are nearly as fast as, or faster than, some sports cars.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Interior Score: 9.3/10

The S-Class’s high-end interior, advanced infotainment and safety technology, and comfortable seats are just the tip of the iceberg. It has heated and cooled 16-way power-adjustable front seats with memory. For short passengers, Mercedes-Benz offers the S-Class with a power rear footrest.

2019 Honda Ridgeline

$29,990 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.7/10

The Honda Ridgeline is a bit of a sleeper model. It delivers on the key wants of compact truck shoppers while giving them the comfort of a cabin that you would find in a well-appointed SUV. Buyers can upgrade to all-wheel drive instead of front-wheel drive. The Ridgeline has a powerful but fuel-efficient V6 engine, and easy ingress/egress.

2019 Honda Ridgeline

Interior Score: 8.7/10

The spacious and comfortable cabin of the Ridgeline is second to none in its class. The compact truck has an extensive list of available safety features, excellent forward visibility, tilting and telescoping wheel, front seat adjustable seat belt anchors, and multi-way adjustable seats.

2018 BMW i3

$44,450 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.2/10

The surefooted 2018 BMW i3 is a zippy electric vehicle with a small footprint, making it a good choice for short drivers. The i3, and its sportier i3s variant, are agile and fuel-efficient with each having over 100 miles of all-electric range. A gasoline-powered range extender is available to help mitigate range anxiety. The car has excellent forward visibility thanks to a minimalistic dashboard and is easier to get in and out of than many other larger vehicles.

2018 BMW i3

Interior Score: 7.8/10

The quiet cabin of the i3 has comfortable front seats that have an upright seating position, helping shorter people see the road. The car’s center stack controls are easy to use. Rear seats in the i3 are tight for larger adults but small people easily fit. The car’s low hatchback makes accessing the trunk and reaching the door to close it easy.

2018 Volvo XC90

$46,900 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.4/10

The luxurious Volvo XC90 is a comfortable vehicle for both tall and short people. For 2018, Volvo has added more standard safety technologies to the SUV, including blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert, making it easier for short people to be aware of the space around this 3-row luxury SUV.

2018 Volvo XC90

Interior Score: 8.9/10

The Volvo XC90 has power-adjustable front seats complete with cushion extensions, power-folding second-row headrests, voice control for the infotainment and climate systems, steering wheel controls, and height-adjustable driver and passenger seat belts. A driver’s seat, wheel, and mirror settings can be saved as their personal profile, making a driver switch easier.

2018 Chevrolet Bolt

$36,620 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.6/10

The 2018 Chevrolet Bolt is one of the safest cars you can buy. It also is a great EV for short people because of its excellent forward visibility and compact size. It delivers a spirited drive and has agile handling. The Bolt also offers the opportunity for one-pedal driving with its regenerative braking system.

2018 Chevrolet Bolt

Interior Score: 8.3/10

The Bolt’s cabin is spacious, but that doesn’t mean that it’s oversized for smaller people. The center stack is easy to navigate, which is helped by the car’s upright seating position. The car’s low ground clearance makes its hatchback door easy to grab when it’s fully extended.

2019 Ford Flex

$30,575 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.9/10

The Ford Flex suffers from an ageing design, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a good choice for short drivers. Its base 3.5-liter V6 engine offers sufficient power for daily driving, but the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine delivers a more satisfying experience behind the wheel. The Flex’s low profile means that its hatch is effortlessly reachable for shorter people.

2019 Ford Flex

Interior Score: 8.1/10

The high-quality cabin of the Flex has standard multi-way power-adjustable seats and an available power tilt-and-telescoping steering column. The Flex’s optional center touch screen has the SYNC 3 infotainment system, which is easy to navigate, but no duplicative buttons for some of its operations.

2018 Subaru Crosstrek

$21,795 | U.S. News Overall Score: 7.8/10

The Subaru Crosstrek makes this list because it has many of the same features as the Subaru Forester, like excellent forward visibility and nimble handling. The Crosstrek has generous ground clearance for the class, but that shouldn’t cause difficulties getting in and out.

2018 Subaru Crosstrek

Interior Score: 8.0/10

The spacious cabin of the Crosstrek is filled with features that make life as a short person more manageable. It has easy-to-reach climate controls, multi-way adjustable front seats, a low load floor, hatchback style rear opening with a handle to pull it back down, and an infotainment system that is responsive and easy to navigate.

2018 Honda CR-V

$24,250 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.8/10

The Honda CR-V is a desirable model that delivers a quality experience from its smooth ride, high crash test scores, large cargo area, and high-quality cabin. The SUV, which comes in front- or all-wheel drive, gets plenty of power from its base 184-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and available 190-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine.

2018 Honda CR-V

Interior Score: 8.7/10

The Honda CR-V has a driver’s seat position and road view that is ideal for shorter drivers. The wide opening doors allow for easy ingress and egress. The steering wheel has audio, Bluetooth, and cruise controls, while other infotainment functions are managed via a touch screen that’s placed high on the dashboard.

2018 Kia Soul

$16,200 | U.S. News Overall Score: 9.1/10

The low-cost Kia Soul is a highly rated compact car. It won our Best Compact Car for the Money award. The Soul is fun to drive and, when you upgrade to higher trim levels, delivers an experience behind the wheel that is verging on athletic. In addition to its gasoline-powered model grades, the Soul is available as an electric vehicle.

2018 Kia Soul

Interior Score: 8.7/10

The Soul’s chair-like seat positioning gives drivers a good view of the road, as well as good sightlines around the rest of the compact car. The Soul’s touch screen and climate controls are easy to use. Its liftgate opens wide and the Soul offers more cargo space than most of its rivals.

2018 BMW X1

$33,900 | U.S. News Overall Score: 8.7/10

The BMW X1 is in the third model year of its second generation and continues to deliver an energetic drive thanks to its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It has low ground clearance as compared to other SUVs, which should make getting in and out of the subcompact SUV easier than in rivals.

2018 BMW X1

Interior Score: 8.4/10

In a highly competitive luxury subcompact SUV class, the BMW X1 stands out as a winner for short people because of the driver-centric center stack setup, which puts controls easily in reach. However, most of the infotainment system is controlled via a rotary knob, which can require more attention from the driver. The SUV has a tilting and telescoping wheel, multi-way power adjustable front seats, and good forward visibility.

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The vehicles on this list are available on dealer lots across the United States. You can learn more about these models in our rankings. Our compare tool will show you how models stack up against each other to help you choose the right one. Before you commit to a new car, SUV, or minivan, be sure to check out our Best Price Program to save thousands off the purchase price.